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1
(The Parish of Branston and Burton All Saints’ with
Christchurch)
One parish, one vision: the love of Jesus transforming lives
2
We have a great deal
to offer in our Parish:
it’s very welcoming,
and a good place to
live, with dedicated
and gifted servants of
God, and we can’t wait
to meet the person
who will steer our ship
for the next few years.
Above all, we are
looking for someone
who is kind,
supportive, cheerful,
approachable, and
enthusiastic, who will
help us sort out our
vision and help us get
there.
In return, we’d offer
you an excellent
package: protected
days off, time to study
and go on retreat,
encouragement to
take annual leave, and
proper payment of
expenses.
Could you be the
person?
About us
We’re a brand new parish, joined
together only in February 2017,
but we’ve been working together
for a while, and we are beginning
to be excited about the
possibilities rather than fretting
about the difficulties. The former
parishes are adjacent, and have
always worked together
occasionally, but this coming
together, has enabled us to see
the bigger picture and use our
resources, human and otherwise,
in new and creative ways. We
already are beginning to feel a
sense of family together, and a
recent pantomime, based loosely
on the story of Esther by one of
our congregation and performed
by a cast ranging in age from 7 to
70 drawn from both churches was
a good illustration of this.
Our Mission Statement is really
important, and our worship, our
outreach and our learning is all
centred on trying to make sure
that the love of Jesus really can
transform as many lives as
possible.
3
About You
Our mission statement is
‘The Love of Jesus,
transforming lives’
The hard work of bringing our two
evangelical churches together has
been largely done: for more than
3 years our PCC has been a joint
one, every Sunday evening
service has been combined, and
social events, study sessions and
special occasions have been held
together.
We know that there are a lot of
lives which need to be
transformed, and to do this, we
need to be a real Christian
presence in the south side of
Burton.
Now we are
ready to
explore the
vision for our
new Parish,
and work to
equip
ourselves to
make it into a
reality.
Strategic thinking
We need a joined-up (in all
senses) vision for how our Parish
could be a Christian presence on
the South side of Burton, and a
strategy for making it so.
Leadership
We need a strong and
collaborative leader. Collaboration
will need to be:
• within the parish (we have
a total of 9 Licensed Lay
Ministers and a Curate,
entering her third year in
July 2017)
• with our friendly and
supportive Chapter – there
are some possible boundary
changed afoot which could
affect us - as well as Burton
Churches Together
• with local organisations
which work to help the
disadvantaged in our
parish.
Teaching
• A gift for inspiring and
biblical teaching in the
Evangelical tradition is a
must.
• We are excited by our
increasing presence in the
local schools, and really
would like to work with
someone who is inspired by
this ministry.
• Our small groups could
probably do with more
coherence and organisation.
Could you help us with this?
I feel just as
much at home
in St Saviour’s
as I do in All
Saints
4
Management
A lot goes on in our churches. Our
new incumbent will need to be a
wise and insightful manager, to
encourage everyone’s gifts and
time to be used to their best
advantage, and to build on and
continue the process of coming
together which is firmly and
happily underway.
Pastoral Ability
• All Saints’ has had some
difficult times in the fairly
recent past, and needs
some care and healing.
• St Saviour’s has a tendency
to become collectively
complacent, and needs
some help to ensure that
‘every member ministry’
becomes a reality.
• Our pastoral care team
needs support to help it to
make the best use of its
members gifts.
Worship
As our patrons are CPAS, Church
Society Trust and Simeon’s Trust,
we are seeking an incumbent who
• identifies with the open
evangelical/charismatic
wing of the church
• but who would also be keen
to help us to develop a
variety of styles of worship:
perhaps occasionally with
more formality, or more
reflective.
• We would love someone to
encourage us to develop
the use of spiritual gifts in
worship.
5
The team
As well as the vicar and our Curate (The Revd Sharon Lord), who
generally alternate between the churches each Sunday,
we are fortunate to have
• six Readers (and one in training)
• one Reader Emeritus who keeps her hand in
• one Local Lay Minister who leads worship
• one Pastoral Minister
• a retired member of the clergy who lives in
the Parish
and all are happy to operate in both churches.
We also have a Duty House, and it is likely that one of our new vicar’s
first tasks will be to help us appoint someone to live in it and join the
Trentside family.
Worship
This is the general pattern for Sundays:
Su
nd
ay
All Saints
at 8.30
St Saviour’s at
10 am
All Saints at
10.30 am
Sunday at 6
1 Holy
Communion
*Morning
worship,
sometimes with
baptism
All Age worship:
ASLAN
Healing Service
(St Saviour’s)
2 Holy Communion
*Holy Communion
*Holy Communion
Open to God (All Saints’)
3 Holy
Communion
All Age worship:
SPLAT
*Morning
worship
sometimes with
baptism
Café church with
Holy Communion
(St Saviour’s)
4 Holy
Communion
*Holy
Communion
*Morning
worship
Open to God,
with Holy
Communion (All
Saints’)
5 Holy
Communion
*Morning
worship
*Morning
worship
Celebration
Praise
*indicates children’s groups meet during this service
6
Worship is right at the heart of what we do, and we have been pleased
with how its coming together is developing.
Our worship is in the Evangelical and gently Charismatic tradition:
Worship is lively, with the participation on Sundays of a band at each
church (which have started to begin to work to together from time to
time). It is very similar in each church; All Saints’ is perhaps slightly more
Charismatic in feel than St Saviour’s, but, as much of our worship is joint,
this is somewhat blurred. It often aims to leave room for open prayer and
the ministrations of the Holy Spirit, within the framework of the Church of
England Common Worship liturgy. Ministry is unrobed, except for Holy
Communion at Wednesday at 10 and Sunday at 8.30, though celebrants
sometimes wear an alb at other services of Holy Communion.
Both churches use SongPro on screens.
7
Café church is a
monthly informal service
of Holy Communion,
seated around tables.
Once a month in each
church we have our own version
of Messy Church: SPLAT
(Sunday People Learning All
Together) at St Saviour’s, and All
Saints’ Learning and Nurturing
(ASLAN).
These provide an inclusive and
enjoyable style of worship for
families, though many older
people seem to find the activities
as much fun as the children.
Weekdays
There is Morning Prayer most
mornings in one or other (and
often both) of the churches, at
8.30.
We hold a well-attended informal
but traditional (hymns not songs)
Common Worship service of Holy
Communion at St Saviour’s on
Wednesday morning at 10.
Before that there is a café which
aims to attract parents who have
dropped their children off at
school as well as early arrivals for
the 10 o’clock service.
We believe in every member
ministry, and so the
congregations are very much part
of our worship – Scripture
readings, administration of the
chalice, intercessions, as well as
operating the laptop and sound
desk; children sometimes collect
the offerings and bring them to
the front.
All services are followed by
tea/coffee and cake, with a rota
for the preparation and serving of
the refreshments.
Average Sunday attendance at
the principal Sunday services is
61 at All Saints’ and 43 at St
Saviour’s. The average for
Wednesdays is 20, with around 8
adults at the 8.30 on Sundays.
8
Special times
On Easter Day we climb the hill
which rises up the valley side at
sunrise – with bacon sandwiches
on our return to ground level!
Mothering Sunday, Father’s Day,
Harvest and Remembrance Day,
and Christingle are all times when
St Saviour’s is full of Rainbows,
Beavers, Cubs, Brownies and
Scouts.
During Advent our travelling Holy
Families make their way around
the two ends of the
parish, staying in a
different home
each night – the
posada.
Our Christmas morning service
alternates between the churches,
but each church has a Midnight
communion and a Traditional
Carol Service. St Saviour’s enjoys
its Christmas Eve crib service.
9
Children and Young
People
One of the highlights of each year
is the annual Children’s Holiday
Club, which regularly attracts 30
plus children, and a band of
willing volunteers who have
plenty of fun too. We hold this in
our marquee at St Saviour’s– we
also have a team of people who
are quite good at erecting and
dismantling the marquee.
But week by week there are
groups of children in each church
learning about God in their
Sunday schools, using the Roots
material so that we can all learn
about the same things.
Schools’ ministry is becoming
increasingly important: Rykneld
Primary School has weekly
assemblies taken by the clergy
team (with Youth For Christ), and
also hosts the Posada figures
each Advent. Our last vicar was a
Governor there. Anglesey Primary
school visit All Saints’, and they
have termly assemblies: this is
quite a breakthrough as there is a
large Muslim contingent in this
school. We do not yet go into
Paget High School (though Youth
For Christ do) nor Christchurch
Infants (but they have links with
Elim Pentecostals). A new
secondary school is being built
just beyond our current parish
boundary, but this may end up
being in our parish following
possible boundary changes.
We have a small but active Youth
Group, and several members are
booked to attend Soul Survivor in
2017. The Bishop is booked for a
Confirmation service on October
15th 2017.
Discipling
Home groups operate throughout
the year, often with members
drawn from both churches. These
could probably do with a more
coherent and co-ordinated
approach, maybe all using the
same material. A Lent course is
held in the Parish, and Alpha
courses run from time to time.
We have been very blessed by
the number of people who have
completed the Bishop’s Certificate
and gone on to other training,
and are very keen that people’s
giftings be drawn out and used in
God’s service.
10
Outreach
All Saints’ has long had a heart
for the vulnerable adults in our
midst, and the outreach activities
give opportunities for the Gospel
to be shared as well as fill many
social needs. Now we are one
Parish, members of St Saviour’s
have also become involved.
Members of the church have for
many years run a weekly Open
House for small children and
their responsible adults.
There is a weekly informal Drop-
in for anyone who would welcome
company and a hot lunch.
A craft group provides a weekly
source of companionship and
creativity.
A Christmas Day meal is served
each year for any who would like
it, especially those who would
otherwise be on their own.
A monthly Ladies’ Tea Outing is
enjoyed by many, including those
who are on the margins of church
involvement; an occasional Men’s
Curry night serves a similar
purpose.
Members of the parish visit local
care homes and provide worship
or Communion for those who
would like.
The Wednesday morning café
at St Saviour’s is popular, as are
the teas served (for free) in
support of the Branston Village
show in August, sometimes in
conjunction with a Flower
Festival.
We support the Samaritan’s Purse
Shoebox appeal, and raise money
to buy virtual gifts such as goats
by not sending Christmas cards to
one another, as well as
supporting various Christian
charities and causes.
We have an active Facebook
presence and a brand-new
website (trentsideparish.church);
we are conscious of the need to
improve our online presence.
11
The Journey of Life
Each church has baptisms most
months, during the main morning
service. Baptism families are
asked to attend eight times
before the baptism, and
undertake a preparation course.
We have seen people come to
faith through this.
Marriage couples are generally
offered the START course; each
church averages around 5
weddings a year.
Funerals take place in the
churches or in the local
Crematorium, approximately one
a month in each church.
Housing
St Saviour’s Vicarage, a modern
(1985) four bedroomed house
with a well-placed study, a
garage and a large garden, is
available for our new incumbent.
It is adjacent to St Saviour’s
Church, and built in part of the
enormous garden of the old
vicarage, which is now a highly
thought of restaurant. It is 1.3
miles away from All Saints’
church,
almost
opposite
Rykneld
Primary
School, a
short walk from a new Co-op and
a ten minute walk from Branston
Water Park.
Organisation
There is one PCC with members
drawn from each church, with a
Secretary who ably deals with
minutes and agendas.
A Parish Administrator works 16
hours a week and produces rotas
and other documentation, as well
as helping the members of the
clergy with the administration of
the occasional offices.
The Leadership Team meets
monthly, and consists of all who
hold a Licence for Authorized
Ministry and those in training.
These meetings are used to
ensure coverage of all services by
completion of the rotas, as well
as to refresh our skills and ideas.
12
The parish
The two parts of the parish are
joined by the road which starts as
Burton Road, Branston by the
A38, and then becomes Branston
Road, Burton as it approaches the
town centre, and which is lined
with a mixture of terraced
housing, large Victorian villas and
between-the-wars semidetached
housing.
The All Saints’ end of Trentside
parish is urban, with a great deal
of affordable terraced housing, as
well as including part of the town
centre with its commerce.
Traditionally, these houses were
occupied by brewery workers, but
as mechanisation has led to far
fewer manual workers being
required, these streets have been
occupied by first the
Bangladeshi/Pakistani
community, and more recently by
the eastern European one: 24.5%
are Muslim.
Many brownfield sites on former
industrial areas have been
developed to provide mostly
apartments and starter homes:
many of these are rented, and
there is considerable mobility.
Socially, there is a certain amount
of material deprivation: many of
the terraced houses are rented
and overcrowded: the former All
Saints’ parish was A1 with 34%
deprivation.
The parish extends right into the
town, including two large
shopping centres, two small retail
parks and a number of small
shops and businesses.
The St Saviour’s end of things has
a great deal of modern housing,
built from the 80s onwards,
around an older area still referred
to by older residents as ‘the
village’. Branston incorporates a
small out of town retail park, as
well as a new Co-op, takeaways,
pubs, corner shops and golf
course. A large depot, now
occupied by B and Q distribution
centre, has had many functions
over the years and is allegedly
where Branston Pickle was first
made. It, like the golf course, is
now surrounded by houses dating
from the 90s. There is an expanse
of water, formerly a gravel pit
and now a Water Park popular
with dog walkers and infant
cyclists.
In Branston there is a certain
amount of material prosperity.
However, we are well aware that
many of the superficially
prosperous areas conceal the 21st
century plague of loneliness,
family break-up and materialism
despite the two cars on the drive.
Just outside the current parish
boundary a new secondary
school, 2500 new homes, and
13
other buildings are currently
rising from the ground. At the
moment these are in Tatenhill
parish, but the matter is under
consideration by the Deanery. In
any case it is likely that the
residents at the Branston end of
the development will look towards
it for spiritual provision.
The population of the parish is
approximately 15440 (2011
census figures: population has
increased since): roughly 40% in
the former St Saviour’s parish
with the remaining 60% in All
Saints’.
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent (latest census
population figure 72,299) is well
known as a brewing town, and
indeed the smell of the brewing
process, and the allied production
of Marmite, wafts through our
parish from time to time. Other
than that, Burton is a middle-
sized market town with a still
fairly prosperous town centre and
with its fair share of distribution
centres around the edge. The
River Trent is the boundary of our
parishes, and indeed the diocese,
and is now a cleaned-up river
with plenty of fish, with extremely
pleasant Washlands on its flood
plain, which will never be built
upon. We have (for the moment)
a Championship Football team:
Burton Albion were promoted in
2016 and at the time of writing
are hanging on!
We have good transport links to
Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent,
Derby, Lichfield and Nottingham
via the arterial A38 and A50
roads, and a number of Burton
residents commute to one of
these. East Midlands and
Birmingham Airports are within
45 minutes drive, and the rail
links are good.
Burton is not without its social
problems, but the rate of
unemployment is low, and there
is considerable new building
taking place in the St Saviour’s
end of the parish as well as in
other parts of Burton. Burton is
surrounded on all sides by
attractive farmland and villages.
14
History
Trentside Parish was formed from St Saviour’s, Branston, and All Saints
with Christchurch, Burton upon Trent, starting in July 2014 when the vicar
of St Saviour’s was also licensed as vicar of All Saints, and concluding in
February 2017 with the official formation of a single parish with two
worship centres. The historical name for All Saints’ parish includes
Christchurch, which is no longer a Church of England church but now
belongs to the Elim Pentecostals.
Finance
The two churches operate fees and the salary for the administrator
jointly. We do not fundraise, but rely on planned giving and Gift Days. All
Saints’ tithes its income.
The Vicar’s and Curate’s expenses are paid in full (to an agreed limit).
FIGURES
FOR 2016
Parish Share
Income
(fees)
Income
(giving)
Expenditure in
running the
church
St Saviour’s £24,967 £6409 £32,635 £23,365
All Saints’ £33,167 £2195 £56,395 £32,458
15
Why should you come to Trentside?
Our churches are very welcoming, and raring to go, and you’d hit the
ground running – lots to do, many challenges, some willing and gifted
people who’d love your support and leadership.
Burton is a good place to live, with excellent communications. It’s on the
up, with lots of new housing and good schools.
The water park is really close and great for dog-walking, prayer-walking
and wildlife.
Staffordshire is a well-kept secret!
The countryside is lovely, Lichfield is
a gem, the Peak District is half an
hour away. There are National Trust
properties, two theme parks and a
Snowdome within half an hour’s
drive.